Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and St. Gallen

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,632 in St. Gallen, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
178

Cost of Living Index in St. Gallen
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St. Gallen Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in St. Gallen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in St. Gallen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $3,632 in St. Gallen, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
St. Gallen $3,632

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $5,284 in St. Gallen, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
St. Gallen $5,284

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $6,937 in St. Gallen, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
St. Gallen $6,937

Nosara is about 49% cheaper than St. Gallen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and St. Gallen sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, St. Gallen by 171%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$29.41 CHF 24.41

-58.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$145 CHF 121

-58.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$17.82 CHF 14.79

-57.69%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$5.99 CHF 4.97

-28.05%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₡773

$5.81 CHF 4.83

-70.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$5.33 CHF 4.42

-74.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$9.23 CHF 7.66

-64.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$6.17 CHF 5.12

-27.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.23 CHF 1.85

-29.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$3.18 CHF 2.64

-0.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.68 CHF 3.06

-34.24%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$7.68 CHF 6.37

-53.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$25.41 CHF 21.09

-70.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$28.97 CHF 24.05

-64.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$38.85 CHF 32.25

-64.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.16 CHF 2.62

-26.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.61 CHF 1.33

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.31 CHF 1.92

105.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$6.01 CHF 4.99

-72.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.70 CHF 1.41

118.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.16 CHF 1.80

65.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.16 CHF 1.79

-49.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.18 CHF 0.98

116.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$10.65 CHF 8.84

-53.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.32 CHF 9.39

76.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.18 CHF 1.81

27.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.31 CHF 1.92

52.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$4.17 CHF 3.46

-71.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$128 CHF 106

-43.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$6.64 CHF 5.51

-66.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$4.79 CHF 3.98

-67.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$77.3 CHF 64.2

-88.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$2.22 CHF 1.84

-29.28%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$35.3K CHF 29.3K

-38.27%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

-12.22%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$305 CHF 253

-69.37%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$38.46 CHF 31.92

-8.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$54.2 CHF 44.95

-4.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$80.7 CHF 67.0

-11.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$30.32 CHF 25.16

-74.14%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$490 ₡220.7K

$2,308 CHF 1,915

-78.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$31.8K CHF 26.4K

-62.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$146 CHF 122

-63.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$64.6 CHF 53.7

-13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$147 CHF 122

-46.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$179 CHF 148

-55.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,734 CHF 1,439

-54.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,698 CHF 1,410

-54.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,854 CHF 2,369

35.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$2,153 CHF 1,787

-34.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$12.1K CHF 10.0K

-42.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$9,070 CHF 7,528

-86.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$6,528 CHF 5,418

-86.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.1

310.48%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

St. Gallen

$1.7K 46% 118% $919

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

St. Gallen

$572 15.5% 63.8% $223

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

St. Gallen

$464 12.6% 121% $254

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

St. Gallen

$398 10.8% 121% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

St. Gallen

$242 6.6% 101% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

St. Gallen

$141 3.8% 62.3% $54

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

St. Gallen

$176 4.8% 102% $89

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,734 in St. Gallen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 645% higher in St. Gallen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $145 in St. Gallen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $572 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

12:09 12:09 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

78,213

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.93 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara St. Gallen 9,570 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
St. Gallen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nosara vs St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $3,632 in St. Gallen – roughly 98% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $5,447 in St. Gallen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 78% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $2,308 in St. Gallen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in St. Gallen at $3,632. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Gallen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $3,632 in St. Gallen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, St. Gallen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.